Well, this was a whole lot of fun.

Several years ago Ivy and her friends did something very silly and the world changed for ever. A rift was opened and now magic is in the world. Ivy had to take all the blame and now the only job she can get is school security, checking the pupils for hexes, spells and charms.

When things go wrong at the school she ends up losing her job - but that could be just what's needed to save the world . . .

Okay, there was a lot to like here. It is, I'm guessing, aimed at a YA audience and when the (kind of obvious) future potential hunky love interest appears and they are (obviously) 'enemies' I did wince a little but that soon picked up and wasn't soppy so that worked out ok.

Our lead, Ivy, was a likeable character who felt very much like a Buffy The Vampire Slayer type but with zombies (so, Ivy the Zombie Slayer I guess) and the magic was believable (as much as these things can be). There were enough twists and surprises to keep me happy and I came away hoping there will be more stories of Ivy and co.

I hadn’t read any other titles by Bryony Pearce, so started with an open mind. The novel goes straight into the action and doesn’t really stop. This will appeal to teen readers who will enjoy not just the action, but the characters who take us on this rollercoaster. Full of blood and gore which will appeal to horror fans, featuring not only magic, but zombies too.

I shall buy this for the school library where it will fill a gap in compelling horror, action novels and the minor romance element means it will appeal to both boys and girls. With many reluctant readers in school, novels which are pacy are a welcome addition.

Thank you to the publishes and NetGalley for this e-arc!

Raising Hell is the first in a new dark and funny urban fantasy series, and let me tell you something, it was DEFINITELY fun!
It’s got a cat possessed with a spirit, a girl walking around with a machete, ZOMBIES, spell casting and plenty of evil lurking around.

The action starts straight from the first page as Ivy, working as a “security guard” fight to save the students at a school from hellhounds.
It doesn’t slow down from there as Ivy, along with a few others work to make a wrong they mistakenly committed years ago, right.

This publishes 3rd June - add it to your tbr! I am already patiently waiting for the next one.

A fun story that rolls along at a cracking pace.
Ivy is at the centre of a sudden upsurge in magic, as hellhounds threaten the children at the school she protects.
When one of her wards becomes the sole target of a hellhound, she is forced into an escalating cycle of magic in which nothing is as it first appears.
I really enjoyed this book, although it is aimed at teens, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes action novels, or those who like to look at the world through different lenses.

I loved this book and for the first time in ages, I sat and read a book in one sitting.

The action starts in this book straight away. Ivy is a security guard at a high school in England - yes, England. How thrilled I was to read a decent book set here, I cannot tell you.

Once upon a time, Ivy and her friends did a very stupid thing and now there's a rift letting dark matter into the world. Dark matter that manifests as black magic which actually works. Now every teenager with access to the Internet is raising hell. Literally.

There is plenty of sass from Ivy, a bit of gore throughout the book (but nothing particularly harrowing) and some truly fantastic supporting characters. Especially, Ivy's Gran.

I really hope that this book flies off the shelves but more than that, I hope to God that the author is planning many more books featuring Ivy Elizabeth Mann.

Bryony Pearce's "Raising Hell" feels a bit like the natural progression for anyone who enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. Not the same mythical world but similar, more grown up and very much set in the UK.

I really enjoyed it and galloped through the book in just two sittings, frequently tutting at my wife whenever she interrupted me. It throws you straight into the action and the world, so you have to rely on the narrator, Ivy, to orientate you. It's a great way to build affinity for a protagonist. I've not read anything else by Pearce but I find her tone and characterisation very appealing, so I'll definitely be grabbing more of her work.

Whilst Pearce delves into magic, zombies, spell-casting and dead things, she really uses these to tackle a wide range of bigger issues like grief, responsibility, guilt and consequences. Choices aren't straight forward and the wrong-doers aren't always in the wrong: that complexity adds to the narrative.

Ivy's world is our world but different; I do wish there was a little more world-building. I can absolutely see how politics would have changed when magic appeared (particularly in the hands of teenagers) but I'd like to linger with that idea for longer and learn more about it. Within a fantastical setting, it could provide YA readers an insight into how political landscapes can shift and how national crises can be hijacked for political power. Given that Pearce has potentially left the rift* open for a sequel, I'm hoping we get to see more of this.

What I have relished the most is the carefully balanced combination of action, gore and humour. In the same chapter, the narrator explains she "had less sense than a Year Seven in the last week before Christmas" and a few lines later describes "a bubbling hiss from the woman as air rasped in and out of her mangled throat." This isn't the goriest moment by a mile but I don't want to spoil any delights for future readers of the book.

And if you need another reason to pick up a copy, there's a talking cat.

*It's an in-joke... you'll get it when you've read the book!